KARACHI: Hearing of Asif’s plea adjourned: Murtaza Bhutto murder case
KARACHI, Oct 22: The Sindh High Court adjourned on Monday the hearing of a quashment petition moved by former federal minister Asif Ali Zardari, PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto’s spouse, in Mir Murtaza Bhutto’s murder case.
The applicant submitted through Advocate Abu Bakr Zardari that there was no evidence to link him with the commission of the offence and that he was entitled to acquittal under Section 265-K of the criminal procedure code. He first moved the trial court, which dismissed the plea. The accused then approached the high court for revision.
Advocate M. Ilyas Khan, the special public prosecutor, was not available on Monday and Justice Rehmat Hussain Jaferi, who is seized of the criminal revision application, adjourned hearing to Oct 29.
Asif’s absence
The additional district and sessions judge-II, East, Naseem Mansoor, on Monday condoned the absence of Asif Ali Zardari in the Mir Murtaza Bhutto murder case till Nov 10.
Defence counsel Shahadat Awan appeared on behalf of his client in the case and submitted an application for condoning the absence of the accused stating that he was out of the country and was unable to appear in court.
The court accepted the application and directed the accused to appear on the next date of hearing.
All the accused were present in the court except former IG Shoaib Suddle.
The case pertains to the murder of Mir Murtaza Bhutto, his close aide Ashique Hussain Jatoi and six other workers and supporters of the PPP (Shaheed Bhutto) on Sept 20, 1996, near his residence in Clifton in an alleged shootout with police.
Asif Zardari, Shoaib Suddle, Wajid Durrani, Masood Sharif, Shahid Hayat, Rai Mohammed Tahir, Shabbir Ahmed Qaimkhani, Agha Mohammed Jameel and other policemen are accused in the case.
